Something altered my picture files's proprieties

[berserker3600]

Hello

Some day ago I noticed that lots of my pictures files had their comments altered, in some I found

"File written by Adobe Photoshop¨ 5.1"

In many others I found

"CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 90"

And I was like W-T-F ?!
 I had stored some personal information in each of those .jpg files and now its gone replaced by that nonsense, WHO THE HECK did this to my files? the only image-related software I have installed at the moment its Google's Picasa, could he be it?
I am literally furious, If I had the money I'd bring the matter to a law court to sue whatever company's software altered my personal information in my files without my permission.

(In short the question of this thread is: Who did this to my files?)

[CraigB]

Picasa could possibly change it as could any photo viewing or editing program, I don't think it's possible for us here to explain what - how or why it happened and if you had all the money in the world I'd say you'd have next to no chance of placing a law suit on something you cant explain.

[Pondus]

Instead of  WTF    try be like   hey i will try google search

[berserker3600]

I already used Google and I had already the hint it could have been some pictures-related program, but I didn't find nothing on Picasa (I tested opening some jpg files with Picasa and their comments weren't altered), so it must be something else.

[CraigB]

You never finished with the logs requested by Essexboy http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=150161.msg1091791 so maybe you are infected from downloading video files

[bob3160]

Where are the original pictures with the actual information you added

[berserker3600]

The original pictures are still in my PC and recovering the originals from a backup shouldn't be too much a problem if wasn't for a temporary "Server Error" google its giving me atm.

I haven't download any video files in the last weeks that weren't from my own uploaded video from YouTube
Anyway I don't think its an actual malware, more like some "legit" software that doesn't mind its own business.

[bob3160]

Since you didn't state the changes you made, it's quite possible that the pictures you
transferred to Picasa simply transferred the standard information not your comments.

[berserker3600]

The pictures I am talking about never moved from my computer, to put it simply on the day 1 they had the comment "bla bla" on the day 2 they had the comment "CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 90", this out of the blue / nowhere. I have no idea which is Day 2 since I only randomly noticed the change so I can't say when it happened but I my pictures were never moved since the last OS install.

[bob3160]

Did you change the default program used to open or edit your pictures
Knowingly or unknowingly.... If by default a different program now opens your pictures
the when you originally made your changes, that's probably the program which was not able to
show your changes.

[berserker3600]

As I already said the only picture-related program I have installed (aside from Win7's integrated photo viewer which is so pro that doesn't even display animated GIFs), its Picasa.

[bob3160]

What is the current default program that opens you pictures
What program was the default program that opened your pictures when you altered the information
If they are the same than I have no answerer for you. If they have changed, you have your answer.

[berserker3600]

Windows 7's photo viewer
Never changed so far

Planning to install Irfan view to view pictures since as I said, apparently viewing animated GIFs files and not only the first frame its too much asking, especially since Win XP's photo viewer could, but hey, Windows 7 = New "Features"

[berserker3600]

A little update:

I have discovered that even 2 years old backups have the same issue, so I am thinking that's some sort of displaying issue rather than something actually and actively changing my file's proprieties. With some extra Google search I've discovered that comments like
"LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01" <- in comments
or
"CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 90"
or
"File written by Adobe Photoshop¨ 5.1"

Are part of the file's EXIF data, and that's for some reason its being displayed in the comments field.
I have no idea what EXIF data is and how the heck it got there in the first place, I am just wondering if there's a way to fix this somehow 

Edit:
I have tried some online tools that wipe EXIF data from files, too bad it doesn't bring back my comments...

[bob3160]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=what+is+EXIF+data